Adapted from the library of The Institute of Texan Cultures, the following recipe is the one used by the Chili Queens of San Antonio, although slightly adapted to today’s standards and measures. Chili in itself is a pretty simple and easy dish to make. The thing to be mindful of is to wear gloves when handling those hot chilies. And if you’d like to add beans to the dish, make sure you follow the original recipe and cook and serve those separately.

Adapted from the 1953 A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert, a Texas journalist, and historian, this recipe follows the rules of a true, original chili, meaning no beans, no tomatoes, no onions, and no “fillers”. The chile pods are precooked and then added to the dish. And, if desired, for extra spiciness, more chile pods can be added a few minutes before the meal is finished.

Although traditionally, chili con carne does not have beans and tomatoes, in this popular variant, both are included. That said, making chili con carne with beans has been such a widespread and long-standing practice it's considered a traditional variant. Serve over boiled rice, topped with sour cream.